The Financial Planning Association will create groups that will bring CFP professionals together to concentrate on particular topics, FPA announced Tuesday.
The Knowledge Circles will help form the content for FPA programs and will enable advisors to address client problems, tackle business objectives and obtain ideas from peers on areas they are interested in, FPA says.
The first three circles will be launched at the annual FPA conference, FPA BE: Seattle 2014, in September. The members of the circles will concentrate on business success, international issues and retirement planning and Social Security optimization.
Four other circles will be created after September to concentrate on estate planning, investment planning, risk planning and tax planning. An eighth will be created based on the feedback from the other circles.
A host advisor will coordinate the circles. FPA members can apply to be a host or a circle member through the FPA website at www.onefpa.org.
“The Knowledge Circle program will allow members with a specific interest to discuss best practices and work collectively on innovative ideas while providing valuable guidance to FPA,” says Lauren M. Schadle, FPA executive director and CEO. The program “will be instrumental in enhancing the overall quality of content developed by FPA – in print, virtually, and at our conferences – while also giving our members an opportunity to further engage with their peers on those matters of importance to their clients and businesses.”